People who want to start in the journalism industry often imagine a very structured career path. However, Washington-based Emmy-nominated video journalist and FOX 13 Seattle “K-Pop Catch Up” host Clint Edwards proves otherwise.
The creator of the YouTube series “Fan Service” has a background in film and photography. Edwards reflected on his unexpected path into journalism – transitioning between fandom to professional reporting and developing his own storytelling voice. Through self-produced interview platforms, Edwards has had the opportunity to expand the knowledge of K-Pop.
This conversation was condensed and edited for brevity and clarity.
Looking back, when did you first realize that telling stories through broadcast journalism on record was something you wanted to pursue seriously, since you originally started with film and photography?
Clint: It wasn’t something I ever realized I wanted to do seriously. Like you said, I studied film originally. I used to work in the film industry in Atlanta, so I was working on movies and TV shows during summer breaks and everything. And that was my goal, just to go work in the film industry. I didn’t know which part I wanted to do, but I wanted to do that.
I graduated college and needed a job so I could make money. I saw a photographer role open up at a TV station. I went through the interview process, I got to the last part, and they were like, “Here’s your camera, here’s what you will be shooting.” And I was like, “Oh, you mean like a videographer, not a photographer.”
I did that, and it was very fun – being able to drive around and do these stories and shoot these interviews and do cool setups of lighting and everything. I got to do some stories that really had an impact and really had a meaning.
I was at my first TV station for about a year and a half, and then I could either stay [there] or try to pursue it further. In TV news and journalism, you really have to move around to make more money to kind of work your way up. So I was like, “Oh, we have a sister station over in San Antonio, let me try.”
I only joined a TV station journalism to make money to do film, and then realized film wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore after I started doing journalism.
Do you think your early interest in motion pictures influenced the way you approach storytelling today?
Clint: Yeah, for sure. I love watching videos from Vice [media] and Vox [media]. I love the documentary style. I love watching true crime documentaries. So I definitely was influenced in how I looked at TV news because I did not study journalism.
[In] a typical TV news package or an interview, I would [say], “In this documentary, they did it like this…” So even though I’m not doing exactly what I started out doing, I’m still able to use that even in this job now, and it really opened me up to a lot of new critiques and stuff I could get because I would always want to try new things.
When you first entered broadcast journalism, did you ever imagine covering K-pop or international music? How did that opportunity come about, and what made you decide to continue?
Clint: The pandemic is what started it. I started listening to K-Pop maybe [in] 2016, I remember seeing Ailee. From that, I was introduced to BTS. “Spring Day” was that song for me, and when NCT released “Fire Truck.” So that was the beginning for me. But after that, I was kind of just a casual listener.
When I joined the broadcast news world, I had no plans to do this. It was in 2019 when I was getting more heavily into it. Then 2020, the pandemic came around, and all these artists were doing Zoom interviews. I thought: “I could probably do this.”
On X, there was a group called Omega X. They were making their debut soon. I reached out to their company. Their company sent me over to a PR agency, and I got that interview. After that, they gave me another group, and then another. It just snowballed, where other companies reached out. I thought I would be doing one interview, but then it kind of grew from there.
When you initially started reaching out to artists or agencies for interviews, did you ever worry it might not work or that it was a long shot?
Clint: I knew it was a long shot from the very beginning, but it literally cannot hurt because I’m just offering them a promotion. So I emailed a bunch of artists at the time, and [Omega X] were the only people that reached back out.
The rejection of it, I’ve always lived by: the worst they can say is “no.” That’s what I tell everybody who has asked me over the years. Just reach out and see. Tell them, here is what [you] can offer, is that of interest? If they say “no,” you move on.
I’ve also had it where they’ve reached out again in the future.
The series “K-Pop Catch Up” with FOX 13 Seattle is a very recognizable piece that involves interviewing and sharing stories about K-Pop artists. How did this idea first come to you?
Clint: When I was hired [at FOX 13], I was like, “Hey, I have this thing I do where I interview these artists, and I would love to do it here. I do everything from setting it up, doing the interview, editing, writing [and] everything,” and they were like, “Cool.”
I honestly can’t remember how long it was, maybe six months or so. I was doing a lot more interviews, and I was like, “I would love to kind of make this a thing.” So after a while, I came up with “K-Pop Catch Up”. It just sounded the most TV news-like, and then they sent me some graphics over, and it became a thing.
Now, it’s on the FOX local app, where you can look on there. It all kind of happened just by saying, “Hey, can we do this?”
I wanted it to be a legitimate thing and not just random videos, because I was doing so many that I thought it deserved its own spot.
As the series developed, how did it help shape your own voice as an interviewer or storyteller?
Clint: It’s kind of wild because I literally just wanted the series so it had a home. I’ve grown a lot through doing the series. It really comes back from a lot of feedback.
I would read comments. I should probably start doing my research. I should start considering myself a journalist. Once I got the graphics, once I got the title, I think I could actually improve not just my interview [skills], but myself in my career through this little K-Pop series.
On your personal YouTube channel, you have created a series called “Fan Service” partly to have more freedom in the kinds of questions you ask. When preparing questions for the series, do you ever find that some of the questions come from your own curiosity as a fan?
Clint: A lot of them do. With “Fan Service,” I always try to get fans involved. On X, I will post: I have an interview coming up. Send me your questions. There are a lot of questions that they send [that are] actually good, but I need to reword it. I need to make it a little more professional. There are a lot of things I really want to talk about, but I can’t.
“Fan Service” is my fan service. I really want to talk about the things that I can’t ask them in other avenues.
You’ve mentioned before in the past, ASTRO was one of the first K-Pop groups that brought you into this K-Pop community. Having admired a group like ASTRO and later interviewing the members, did that experience shift the way you think about the relationship between fandom and journalism?
Clint: Honestly, it was so exciting getting to do that, but I almost kind of wish that, as a huge fan [of theirs], I didn’t do it, which kind of sounds weird. I love getting to do it, but as a fan of the genre, when you interview someone, you are put on this high pedestal.
It was such a great interview, and I love talking to them, but it was like imposter syndrome. I get a lot of imposter syndrome trying to stay professional with some artists when I love their content so much. Being a professional TV journalist, I have to always remember that when I’m making questions. If someone that knows nothing about K-Pop saw me ask this for the station, are they [going to] be like, “He is a real journalist?” Or “Did you hire him for YouTube or something?”
After these years in broadcast journalism and covering K-Pop, what still excites you about chasing a story or conducting an interview?
Clint: My favorite thing still is getting to speak with new artists. My thing is, I always want to speak with an older artist or speak with a brand new one.
I feel like today we’re getting especially younger artists. So what excites me is really getting to be at the beginning of someone’s journey. Even [if] I’ve interviewed them for every single release I have, every signed album that they’ve sent me, still, they personalize little notes to me and everything. And I love those members so much because I’ve seen them since the beginning. Every time we talk, I’m not nervous – I remember every second.
It’s really getting to follow their journey along, and I’ve done that with a few groups as well. So what excites me is not the initial interview, it’s what is going to come after that interview and seeing where these artists that I get to promote are going to go.
Looking ahead, what kinds of stories or conversations are you most excited to continue exploring as a journalist? Or what should your fans expect?
Clint: I definitely want to open up my platform to other people in the industry who kind of have more experience. I love speaking to newer artists, but there is a lack of experience that they’re going to have, especially with interviews.
I also want to talk to a lot of people behind the scenes – producers and songwriters – to see what are the trends? What or why is that a trend right now? And why do we keep doing it?
I mean, I don’t just interview K-Pop either. I do J-Pop and Filipino as well. I definitely want to open up to more artists [and] more countries.
Who do you have in mind, if you can name one person to interview?
Clint: Probably EXO. I want EXO members more than anything in this world. I interviewed Chen a while ago, one of my favorite interviews. He has so much experience and so much knowledge of the industry. I want to interview all the EXO members. ASTRO is my favorite group, EXO is my favorite musically.
I still need to interview [Cha] Eun-woo as well, and Rocky. I’ve interviewed all the other ASTRO members.
If I had to pick one artist, EXO. They’ve done so much in their careers, both group-wise, solo-wise. I think they would be some really good interviews. And Ailee as well.
Clint: Don’t be afraid to get rejections. I literally just started by emailing. I’ve spoken to other people as well. I’ve done Zoom interviews with a couple of college students, and they’re not studying journalism, but they reached out to a company and they got their first interview, a written one. They start small.
Even if you’re not a journalist, you’re still able to do this. You just have to be prepared to be rejected and then work on what you think needs to be done if you don’t work for a TV station.
Start a blog. Start social media accounts for that blog. Keep posting consistently. You do not have to have a degree to do this. It definitely helps. But if it's something you really want, you can make it happen.